10 Mrz, 2018

The Antarctic Dive – a frozen Water World

10 Mrz, 2018

Our second trip into the Antarctica after almost 20 years of absence showed us interesting new insights into the changing of the local climate and settlements at the Antarctic Peninsula. We had the great opportunity to join a Colombian Navy expedition with the aim of installing an Antarctic base for scientific research. We had a lot of groups that researched on climate change, environmental impact of the humpback whale population and migration, and, also two highly profiled sportsmen and women aboard. The positive aspect was definitely that I have seen only one plastic bottle drifting in the sea outside of the Brazilian base :).

Though the Brazilians are Nr. 1 hosts when we talk about partying they unfortunately bring their non ecological system of constructing big cities into the Antarctica hiring a bunch of Chinese people working 24 hours on their new base. We can just hope that they don´t dump all the equipment they don´t need anymore after having finished their project right there in the area. The very positive aspect of our trip definitely was the fact that we could realize a yearlong dream to bring Colombian cliff diving legend Orlando Duque into the highly iceberg infested area near Paradise Bay to dare the first high dive ever from a piece of drifting frozen water. First of all, we succeeded. After many years of trying to get this crazy idea financed the Colombian Navy just invited us to join them and fulfill our intentions. They even supported us with their helicopter and boat crews to find our floating ice sheets. Though it was really dangerous to climb up and walk near the edge Orlando Duque did it as a first human being ever jumping off a platform of frozen water higher than 20m. Resuming my own windsurfing trip in the year 1999 I can say that this trip was inspired of the one I did 20 years ago, and, so it had a lasting impact on my own life and Orlandos. Antarctica, see you again in about 20 years!

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